you never said goodbye
by CommanderLeska
Summary: Clarke is forced to return to Camp Jaha when the Commander declares war on her people. But it's not as simple as that.
1. Clarke

Clarke never intended to return to Camp 'd been out for less than a month before she was forced to go back. Talick, a Trikru scout had found her by a small river, where she was collecting water to drink, resting with her feet in the water, cooling down after a hunt, where he interrupted her. She barely had time to get her knife out of her waistband before he told her what was happening.

A war.

The Skaikru and the Trikru were going to war. That's all she had heard from the scout before ordering him to take her back to Camp Jaha. She'd learnt his name as they climbed onto his horse, and he told her that he did not agree with his Commander, and they shouldn't go to war with the Skaikru. She had asked why Lexa would do this, but was only met with silence from Talick, who spurred on the mare, heading in the direction of Camp Jaha.

Talick was the first interaction she'd had with a Grounder since leaving Camp almost a month ago. She'd passed by a village about a week into her self-exile, where a funeral pyre burnt into the night, and another village about a week after that, where celebrations were being held, cheering carrying far into the woods, no doubt celebrating their "victory" over the Mountain.

And now she was heading back again, to the place she ran away from. The friends and family she ran away from. Because she had to stop yet another war with the Grounders. And her mum had the audacity to say she wasn't a leader?

She was jogged from her thoughts when Talick stopped the horse near the clearing to Camp Jaha.

"I cannot go further, Klark. Your people shoot Grounders on sight. Maybe it is best if you do not wear that coat." Talick jumped down from his horse, offering his hand to Clarke, helping her onto the ground carefully. "I will be here if you need me, Klark. I would like to escort you to the Commander, if that is what you wish."

"I need to talk to my people first, Talick. Then I will be speaking to Lexa." She took off her deer hide coat and handed it to Talick, who laid it on his horse, and nodded to Clarke.

"May we meet again, Skai Prisa." Talick gripped the reins of his horse, and patted Clarke's shoulder.

"May we meet again, Talick." Clarke nodded back, and headed into the clearing.

The fence of Camp Jaha looked even more imposing, and so did the sheer number of people with guns aimed at her.

"Clarke?!" Bellamy pushed the gate open, closely flanked by Octavia and Lincoln.

"Where's my mother?" Clarke asked, walking passed her friends, looking sternly into camp.

"Clarke?" Abby stepped out of a building to the right, shocked and confused and happy at her daughter's reappearance.

"What's this I hear about a war?" Clarke asked, stepping back from her mother's attempt to hug her, crossing her arms in front of her.

"That's a matter for the council, Clarke." Abby replied, frowning. Her daughter was back, but for the wrong reason.

"Then we better have a meeting, mother."

* * *

"Are you trying to tell me that just over 2 weeks ago, the Trikru declared war on you?" Clarke asked, anger threading through her features. "How can Lexa just do that?! Has she talked to you at all?" Clarke paced the room in front of Kane and Abby, clenching and unclenching her fists.

"We have not seen the Commander since she walked away from you." Kane said softly, in hopes of not drawing more anger out of the blonde.

"So she didn;t give you the courtesy of giving you a warning?" Clarke seethed, gripping the edge of the map table, looking between her mother and Kane.

"No. She sent 2 warriors who delivered the message. 'Surrender and die, or go to war and die'. We had no choice. We had to go to war." Abby supplied, her anger at Lexa clear in her voice too.

"Then I'm going to stop it. I'm going to find Lexa, and make her end this war." Clarke headed for the door, pulling herself out of Abby's grip with a glare that silenced her mother. "I am going."

* * *

"Take me to her, Talick."

* * *

Clarke strode with purpose through the small village, reminiscent of TonDC, complete with burnt out funeral pyre and blood-soaked tree. Clarke knew on instinct that this was the village she passed a week into her exile.

She held her head high as she walked up to the Commander's tent, Trikru warriors watching in shock as the Skai Prisa walked through their village. She heard whispers around her, some filled with anger, most filled with awe and fear. Clarke the Destroyer. She who razed the Mountain to the ground. The Sky Princess. And now she was going to either stop or kill Lexa to end this war. And Indra wasn't going to stop her.

"Klark." Indra stepped to the side, in front of Clarke, stopping her entrance.

"You can't stop me, Indra. Move out of the way." Clarke ground her teeth together, growling out her sentence to the General, who pursed her lips and glared at the young Skaikru leader.

"All is not what you think, Klark." Indra held her hand on her sword, leaning over the shorter girl, who looked on in defiance.

"Do you really want this war, Indra? If not, step aside." Clarke glared down the women, who eventually stepped to the side, clearing her path to the tent.

"You will be wise to watch your tongue. The Commander will kill you." Indra warned as Clarke took a step towards the tent. Clarke scoffed as she opened the flap and entered.

There the Commander stood, facing away from the flap of the tent, looking at the maps on the table. Her thick brown hair was braided differently than normal, set in tighter braids. The red cape hung down from hr shoulder, spreading out over the floor, just as Clarke remembered.

"Commander." Clarke growled, and the Commander tensed, standing upright.

"I've been waiting for you, Clarke." She replied, and it was Clarke's turn to tense. The Commander turned around, and Clarke was faced with someone who was definitely not Lexa.

"Who-" Clarke started, stepping back when this new woman stepped towards her, gulping.

"You must be wondering who I am. Ai laik Heda Alina kom Trikru." The woman, Alina, smiled at Clarke. But it wasn't like when Lexa smiled. Lexa's smiled oozed love. Alina's smile oozed hate.

"Where's Lexa?" Clarke asked, straightening up in the face of the new Commander.

"That traitor broke the alliance between the Trikru and the Skaikru. When Gustus did that, he was executed. When Lexa did that? Well, that's her pyre outside." And with those 4 words, Clarke's already fragile world crumbled.

She couldn't end this war.

And Lexa was dead.


	2. Lexa flashback

It was 6 days after the defeat of Mount Weather at Clarke's hands, and Lexa couldn't keep her emotions in check. She hadn't returned to any villages in the area until she knew what had come of the Mountain. And after seeing Clarke walk out of there with her own people, Lexa smiled into the darkness. She'd done it. She'd done what no Commander had ever been able to do. Take down the Mountain.

And now she was riding into a village, about 3 days from Polis, where she and Indra were headed, to hold a meeting with the clans and discuss the coalition. What Lexa didn't expect was to be greeted by representatives from each clan at the village, who took her horse from her the second she jumped down onto solid ground.

" _Heda Leksa._ " One of the men in front of her, Grathen of the River Clan, spoke up, stepping towards her. " _In your absence the council have discusses the alliance you created with the Skaikru._ "

" _Sha. I create the alliance. What of it?_ " Lexa asked, hand resting on her sword at her hip, narrowing her eyes at the tall man towering over her. Lexa didn't know why the council would meet without it's Commander, come to conclusions without her there to govern them. They had no right to. " _The Skaikru will not likely join the coalition, if that is what this is about._ "

" _That is not what this is about. This is about Gustus._ " Grathen motioned for the women next to him, Kyler of the Desert Clan, to step up next to him, and she pulled out a piece of paper, and began reading from it.

" _Our law dictates that 'Any person found attempting to break a coalition or alliance shall be put to death.'_ " She glanced up at Lexa, and Lexa raised one eyebrow, turning to address Grathen again.

" _I know this. Gustus has already been put to death. Blood had its blood._ " Lexa turned to walk away, coming face to face with guards, one of the Boat Clan and one of the Ocean Clan, swords in hand. She wheeled back to face the representatives, eyes ablaze. " _What is the meaning of this?_ " Luna of the Boat Clan stepped forward, eyes shining with sadness, causing Lexa herself to frown.

" _Heda Leksa kom Trikru,_ " Luna began, and Lexa straightened up, sucking in a breath. " _You left the Skaikru in the middle of battle, thus breaking the alliance formed between the two clans. You succeeded where Gustus failed._ " Luna's eyes were unfocused as she stared at Lexa, and the Commander backed up, arms grabbed by the two guards behind her.

"No… No!" Lexa growled, at the guards grip tightened.

" _You have been found guilty of breaking an alliance, and shall be put to death._ "

"I am the alliance! I am the Commander!" Lexa spat, as Grathen pulled her dagger and sword away from her, placing them to the side as the guards held her still.

" _May your spirit find its new body quickly, and may we find you just as swiftly._ " Luna finished, finally looking at Lexa, whose eyes glistened, war paint smudging around her eyes. " _I am sorry, Leksa._ "

" _Tie her to the tree._ " Grathen ordered, pulling Lexa's sword out of it's sheath, following the guards who pulled the struggling Commander over to the tree, holding her in place as one of Kyler's guards tied her hands behind the tree, trapping her there. Grathen raised her own sword and levelled it with her heart, looking the Commander in the eye.

" _I, Grathen kom Rikru, hereby carry out the sentencing of Heda Leksa kom Trikru, on the grounds of treason on behalf of the Skaikru._ " He pushed the sword gently, pressing it against her chest, over her heart. " _Yu gonplei ste oden, Heda._ " He pushed, and Lexa gasped her last breath into the dusk.

"Clarke..."


End file.
